In Defense of the fan
Posted on 27. Feb, 2010 at 4:39 pm by Stake in Basketball, NCAA Basketball, Oregon Ducks Basketball, PAC-10 Basketball
Success is NOT being 4-5th among Pac-10 teams in the past decade. It’s just that, mediocre. I have a feeling that most spectators are blind to a 20+ win season next year, coaching change or not. Any team will have a hard time winning 20+ with Longmire and/or Sim playing significant minutes. Sorry, just cant see that happening.Their style, both on offense and defense is lacking anything that might insinuate success. On defense when they try to run a zone, it fails because the players don’t fully understand the concept, don’t buy in to Kent’s “schemes”, or are just flat lazy. It’s probably a combination of them all, but anyway you look at it, its not good. On offense they do tend to run up and down, but then usually proceed to jack a bad 3 up, or pull it out to run the 35, and then jack up a bad three.
His recruiting has always been his montra, but with no Rid, Fred, AB, Luke, Taylor, or Malik in the foreseeable future, his recruiting prowess should be questioned. I’ve tried to give him the benefit of the doubt concerning his in game coaching, but when his players dont buy in, the S.S. Duck has sunk, captain Kent included.
To his credit, Ernie has brought the program from the bottom to mediocrity, the 4-5th best team in the conference last decade. If you(Ern) aren’t playing in a new arena next year, mediocrity might be accepted. Two problems: First, the past couple years haven’t even been average(in terms of wins). They have been simply awful, with little to no signs of improvement or hope. Second, they ARE playing in a new arena where mediocrity isn’t and shouldn’t be expected… Your final chance is the Pac-10 Tournament, Ernie, and whether you think you can or can’t win it, you’re probably right. There are many who have a hard time believing you can. Prove all of us wrong.
Related article: In defense of Ernie Kent
goodplaye
27. Feb, 2010
ha awesome video!
chris
27. Feb, 2010
save ernie!
Kinger
27. Feb, 2010
Who is that loser with the bag on their head…
Flawed Logic
27. Feb, 2010
UO should keep Ernie Kent.
WCP541
27. Feb, 2010
Hey Kinger, I have a good idea who the baghead is. I went to the same school as he did for about 8 years.
Oregon is still in the running to land the best prospect in state. I have heard a whole bunch of talk that Terrence Jones (Jefferson H.S. in P-Town) is a better baller than Kevin Love was coming outta high school. We have a chance to get him if Big Ern is still the coach. However, if Kent is gone, we won’t have a chance at all. The kid looks like he could be the superstar that we need to help turn things around. Looks can be deceiving though. I say give Ernie a chance at signing him. Hell, I think Kent should get at least one season in the new arena, that we would NOT have, without the successes that he has had in his time as our coach. I also think that a lot of people’s expectations for the team are way too high. But opinions are like assholes…
bbryan
27. Feb, 2010
Stake, you’re going to be firing coaches every Few years if you expect a top tier program out of Oregon. Also to say there has been no improvement when they have already won 4 more league games than last year is wrong. They are much better than last year and really just a step away from winning 10+ league games next year.
Kinger
28. Feb, 2010
Bry: “Top tier?” That’s a joke, right? No one expects Oregon to be top tier in basketball, but 3rd tier would be nice. Heck, most would take 4th tier. I’m guessing you see the Zags as second tier? And nationally, they are viewed as being so much better than Oregon, it isn’t even funny. ASU is now a better basketball program than Oregon, talk about pathetic.
Yo WCP, are those your initials? If so, I know who you are…..
Stake
28. Feb, 2010
Bry, when you need to sell tickets, you need to win games. At worst, they need to be an above team when opening the arena. By no means do I expect top tier quality, but just plain average won’t cut it. You don’t go out to eat at a nice restaurant and order the cheapest meal because its cheap. Doesn’t make sense. Over the past 8 seasons, this included, Kent has been just that, average at best. The league being garbage all around counts for at least 3 of the 4 wins, so I don’t see notable improvement from last year. 10 wins next year would be .500, or Average. I know someone who can give you that, Average Ern.
bbryan
28. Feb, 2010
Kinger if you were a UCLA fan you’d be calling for Howland’s head.
If you guys know someone who will make deep runs into the tournament every 4 years and in between will field tournament worth teams every year by all means bring him in. I just think the most of you will be highly disappointed 5 years from now and will be calling for X’s head because Coach Y at School Z will make us top tier. Oregon has been the best non power house program in the Pac-10 during the 2000′s.
Kinger
28. Feb, 2010
I wouldn’t be calling for Howlands head, largely because he runs an identifiable system, Something Kent does not do, or have the capacity to do.
You may think we’ll be disappointed in 5 years by grabbing another coach, and it’s certainly possible. But, by keeping Kent, everyone knows that extreme disappointment is the only possible ending.
DonnyB
28. Feb, 2010
Rough article right after a win at UCLA.
Kinger
28. Feb, 2010
As if the win at UCLA meant anything? If a two game winning streak against two bad teams, can save ones job, it shows how pathetic that programs standards are.
Stake
28. Feb, 2010
One of the worst teams in one the worst conferences in the country. That is Oregon. I guess it could be worse, eh Hoosier fans?